Baby Steps
by angie9281
Summary: Follow up to Strange Bedfellows and part of a multi story arc-When Sookie learns that there is a chance that she could very well have one last chance to have a baby, she and Eric have a long and frank discussion on that which they both want and yet have hesitations about. will they forego their final chance or will they do what they did when first hooking up-take a chance,


She had been shocked upon hearing his admission that the pink blanket with the bear had gone to the dump by accident. But she had also been appreciative that he had enlisted their mutual friend Lafayette to use his energies to help track it down fast. And one sniff of the blanket would never give even a light hint that it had gone on a strange, dirty, smelly trip. He stopped short of telling her about his enchanted pendant, the stone from his past with symbols of his people etched on the surface. Symbols representing that which were important to him. Honor, life, glory and pride. But that this now had the power to allow them once more to bring another life into the world, it was something to marvel at. And also, for the time being, to lock away in his vault in the basement where he felt it would be safest. Neither of them had admitted that they had completely wanted to write off having another child bit knew it was impossible. Trouble was, he knew, at least, that it wasn't and he hated keeping secrets from her. That was not honorable nor how he wanted to be with her. He wanted honesty and yet, how could he broach the subject with her?

She was doing laundry in their very spacious laundry room, having decided to give the maids a break. She didn't have them work all the time and that she didn't want to feel like a kept woman was what had led her to decide to cut back on having them work. But the landscapers, well, they worked wonders and having no green thumb herself, let them do what they were best at. The window was open, the night air drifting in, a floral scent in its wake. Having secreted the blanket back in the trunk in the cavernous, furnished attic where she had kept her mementos from the past, he wondered how long it would be before she discovered something was amiss. Because he knew that blanket hadn't been as well washed and as well cared for in some time and he knew she was no fool. And within the hour she had come across it, a urge to go through family heirlooms having overtaken her. Reflective as she had been, she had said she was looking for some family photo she wanted to get retouched for her brother. But he hadn't been fooled. He had caught a glance at her seeing the blanket cleaned and that unexpected gesture, well, it clearly affected her more than she had expected. But he had left the doorway before she knew he was there.

She was on her way home from work, that much he knew and he was amused by the fact she still insisted on, for the most part, taking a car to get where she needed to get to go. Her reasoning was that as much as she appreciated and owned her skill set, she also wanted some sense of normalcy in her life. And driving, well, that was normal, she had pointed out. That being said, once or twice a week, she usually popped into work quite literally, appearing in the safe confines of Arlene's office, away from eyes that knew nothing of her background.

She hadn't said anything about the blanket and even when she got home that night, her kiss with him had been lacking, distracted. And he had asked her how work had been, gently trying to get her to spill. "Another night of having drunk rednecks grabbing my ass. They got bounced of course and I was tempted to show them what I am really made of…..but I had to play it normal. Save for the fact that they may have accidentally fell into Lafayette's leg, which had been oddly sticking out in the hall while he was on break, chatting it up with Jason. Who arrested the creeps for harassment. No doubt they won't like sobering up on jail….and Arlene banned them from the bar so….."

"You Don't have to subject yourself to that you know. You Don't have to work." he reminded her. But he knew she didn't want to be a kept woman and knew she would never quit her job. There was something on her mind that he suspected was the same thing on his mind. The difference was that he alone knew that what they wanted was, in fact possible.

"I guess I had better get some laundry taken care of….." she said as she gave him a look. "I wish you would do a little more around the house, you know…sometimes I really do feel like I live with some frat boy." she paused, glancing at the kitchen counter and he followed her glance to where a wine glass with dried blood rested, a few drips on the marble countertop.

"We've got maids and I try to do my share. I didn't make you take care of the outfit I lost a few days ago when there was a fight at the club? I got home and just tossed them out." he protested and blinked innocently. "You can't stay mad at me and you know it." he crossed the room and did clean the counter and the glass and turned to wait for the reproachful remark. Instead, she was trying not to laugh and she admitted that he really did need to stop playing the cute card.

"I really can't find myself being mad at you for long and it really is unfair. And I suppose you have gotten better at pitching in here and there."

"Hey, I come from another time. The girls did the cleaning and the cooking and the…" he paused, the words getting stuck, a rarity for him.

"Birthing babies?" she retorted with a smirk that flickered before fading, her face turning to the fridge where she poured herself a glass of wine. And it was clear they had ventured into tough territory. And so it was then he spilled his guts. Telling her about his adventure with Lafayette in retrieving the blanket from the dump and that which had happened afterwards, that the medium's brujo magic had created something that was priceless. "And so….its locked away safe….but like I said, there are apparently caveats into the circumstances for things to work out. But we can also leave it there undisturbed. Its…its nice to have the option, don't you think?" he waited for her to reply. "it is, in all likelihood, the last chance we have. But after everything that's happened, all the talk-" he stood stunned as the thong appeared, the ancient stone hanging from it. "Of course you can do that….. " he muttered, not annoyed, but rather impressed.

She held it in her hands. "How long were you going to keep this from me? I mean this is….this is huge. Its been several weeks since I noticed the state of the blanket and I appreciate the trouble you went getting it…..cleaned up and whatever…..but you couldn't tell me then about the other part of that night?" she wasn't angry, per se. but something this big, well, she felt more frustrated than anything else. She handed it back to him and stalked out of the kitchen. Yep, he was gonna be bunking on the couch tonight, he suspected. But he was no quitter and followed her to their underground suite and found her sitting on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. He hated that he was the cause of her being upset and gingerly, he sat beside her but dared not touch her.

"I'm not mad…this….this is just a really big decision."

"But not one that has to me made right away. We can lock this up when we feel it is time…or not." he said as he held the precious trinket up. "As I said, there are very particular conditions that go along with this working correctly. We both know there are pros and cons of trying this but-"

"The thing of it is, I think we would be foolish to let fear stop us from going along with this. And I know it is what we both want. But the timing….I am not really as ready as I thought I was. After everything….." she trailed off, letting her head rest on his shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing a deep breath. "Honestly, my answer, Eric, am is….yes. I want to do this. But not anytime soon. It has to feel right for me….and I know you may not like that answer but-"

He put a finger on her lips to stop her from talking. "I will be patient for you and am glad this is your decision. And when the time does come, I promise you, this second go around will be a cake walk, we've been through it once already. Plus, the little one will be another hybrid so….nothing we can't deal with."

"Easy for you to say…it would be a hoot to see you trying to walk around with a baby inside you. To say nothing of labor and granted, with me being what I am, it wasn't terrible….but I could tell you stories of friends of mine that could turn you…well, it would do something to you I can guarantee that much. Turn you a little weak in the knees, shall we say?"

Grimacing for a moment, he shrugged it off and smirked, that cockiness returning. "I should give you women credit….back in my time, I never was around right there when babies arrived and it wasn't until ours that I saw anything…..but I can't imagine what a normal mortal would be like, I do remember the sounds I heard back then…..horrifying."

She laughed and pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him. "Go put that necklace thing away and when you get back we can maybe….get some practice in before we decide to bite the bullet and go for it." she made the innuendo with a cheeky grin, racing to the walk in closet, no doubt to change into something else. Not needing any further enticement, he raced to the vault in which they kept their most important documents, photos and items and once the necklace was safely tucked and locked away, he retreated to the shower, where he was pleasantly surprised to find her waiting and together, they certainly got to work on practicing for the future.

 **THE END**


End file.
